Production Planner in Sandbach

Production Planner / Scheduler

Location: Cheshire - Site Based

Working Environment: 24/7 manufacturing operation

The Opportunity

Our client are currently recruiting for a Production Planner / Scheduler to join a growing chemical manufacturing business at its site in Sandbach, Cheshire.

The business manufactures and supplies agrochemical products used in agriculture, including pesticides designed to control weeds and insects. Its products are supplied to customers across the UK and Europe, with finished products packaged in IBCs or powder form.

Operating a lower-tier COMAH site with approximately 35 employees, the business has experienced significant recent growth, with production increasing by 35% in recent months. As a result, they are looking to strengthen their planning capability and appoint an experienced planner who can take ownership of production scheduling and help support the continued development of the site.

This is a hands-on, site-based planning role within a 24/7 batch-processing manufacturing environment, covering production, filling and finishing, and packaging operations.

The Role

Reporting directly to the Site Manager, you will take responsibility for production planning and scheduling at the Sandbach facility.

You will manage the daily production plan, coordinate short- and long-term schedules, ensure production requirements are achievable and identify potential capacity or material constraints before they impact operations.

This is a standalone planning position on site, so the successful candidate must be confident working independently, managing their own workload and taking ownership of their responsibilities. You will also liaise regularly with planning colleagues across Europe, sharing information and supporting wider supply requirements.

Although the primary focus is production planning, there will also be some involvement with logistics and wider supply chain matters.

Key Responsibilities

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Manage the daily production plan and act as the primary point of contact for planning-related issues.
• Develop and maintain short-, medium- and long-term production schedules.
• Create, sequence and smooth process orders to maximise available capacity and minimise downtime.
• Communicate production schedules effectively to manufacturing teams and monitor performance against plan.
• Ensure production schedules are feasible in terms of capacity, materials and operational requirements.
• Identify and elevate capacity or material constraints that could affect production or customer requirements.
• Communicate any customer or shipment orders that cannot be accommodated within the production schedule.
• Monitor schedule adherence and take appropriate action when production plans are at risk.
• Attend routine site meetings and work closely with manufacturing and other relevant teams.

Materials & Supply Planning

• Calculate raw material requirements to meet forecast and production demand.
• Review supply requirements against current capacity and throughput assumptions.
• Identify potential supply risks and highlight issues in a timely manner.
• Maintain the purchase plan and provide relevant information to procurement to support purchase requisitions.
• Reschedule production where raw material availability creates constraints.
• Maintain planned-versus-actual production data and support performance monitoring.
• Contribute to a rolling three-month production plan and a longer-term 15-month planning horizon.
• Support SKU amendments and relevant master data queries.

Inventory & Continuous Improvement

Monitor current and future inventory requirements.

Identify stock at risk of becoming aged or excess and implement plans to minimise waste.

Support the objective of avoiding product write-offs and expiry.

Identify opportunities to improve planning processes, production efficiency and schedule reliability.

About You

We are looking for an experienced planner who can operate confidently in a manufacturing or process-industry environment.

This is not an entry-level position. The business needs someone who can take ownership of the planning function, work independently and make an immediate contribution without requiring extensive training or day-to-day supervision.

You will ideally have:

• A degree in Chemistry, Engineering, Science, Materials or a related discipline. A Chemistry degree or equivalent is particularly relevant.
• Previous experience working in a planning or scheduling role.
• Experience within chemical manufacturing, agrochemicals or another process-industry environment would be highly advantageous.
• Candidates from wider manufacturing or service-related industries may also be considered where they have relevant planning experience.
• Experience using SAP is desirable. Candidates who have used another ERP system and are confident learning SAP will also be considered.
• A good understanding of production planning, scheduling and material requirements.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• The confidence to work independently and take responsibility for planning activities.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with production, procurement and wider business teams.
• A proactive approach to identifying issues, managing constraints and finding practical solutions.

What's on Offer?

The opportunity to join a growing chemical manufacturing business.

A key planning position supporting a site that has recently achieved 35% production growth.

Responsibility for production planning and scheduling at the Sandbach facility.

Exposure to a 24/7 batch-processing manufacturing environment.

Regular collaboration with planning colleagues across Europe.

A competitive salary and benefits package